Flax-pulling machine



e. MICHOT. l-LAX PUlILING MACHINE v APPLICATION FILED APR-18,1918- 1,393 951 Patented Oct. 18; 1921-.

3,SHEETSSHEET 1.

INVENIOR G. Miokbi mmmm G, MICHOT. FLAX PULLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION men APR- vs, 1918.

Patented 00m 18, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY G. MICHOT.

FLAX PULLI-NG MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR. I8, 1918.

1,393,951. v Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

a SHEETS-SHEET a.

INVENTUR AT TORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGES MICHOT, OF DROMARA, IRELAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIBRE CORPORATION LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

FLAX-IPULLING MACHINE.

Application filed April 18, 1918.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonons MroHor, a citizen of the Swiss Republic, residing at Dromara, county Down, Ireland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Relating to F lax-Pulling Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved machine for pulling flax.

Various forms of machine have been proposed for pulling flax, but so far no machine has been produced which is capable of pulling flax in a sufficiently satisfactory manner to replace hand-pulling, and the object of the present invention is to provide machines capable of substituting hand labor for flax pulling, and adapted to produce as good or better results.

The invention consists in a flax pulling machine, having a plurality of combs suitably supported, and arranged to be carried around by the periphery of a drum, and provided with means for causing the combs to be advanced through the periphery of the drum in an angular direction, so that they may pull the flax by the upward part of the rotary movement, and be withdrawn during the downward part of the rotary movement to release the flax, a plurality of combs being preferably employed across the width of the swath, and these being distributed with circumferential distances be- ,tween them, so that the pulling effort isdistributed.

The invention also consists in one or more tated casing or drum is combined with pulling combs projecting through it, the combs being carried on bearings eccentric to the casing, so that their reciprocation is effected simply by rotation of the drum;

2. A flax pulling machine in which combs are arranged in sections to act progressively upon the flax; j

8. A rotated casing ordrum of round or triangular or square form operating the combs, and set with axis slightly above heads of growing flax say 5 inches;

4. Swiveling slot bars at the casing oriflces through which the comb travels;

5. Comb-carrying bars sleeved at one end on the non-rotating cranked shaft, and having angularly disposed sockets at their outer Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18,1921. Serial No. 229,468.

ends to receive tapered round comb teeth, givin tapered spaces gripping the flax;

6. no or more rearwardly directed delivery bands carrying the flax from the pulling casing preferably to a transverse delivery band;

7. Frame-carrying delivery bands supported by one or more preferably swiveled road wheels;

8. A trough swiveling collector receiving from end of delivery band; L

9. In connection with (2), a circular casing with flanges separating the sets of pulling combs.

The invention further consists in various features of the machine hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 shows in elevation a rear view of the machine with the receiving and delivery bands omitted.

F 2 is a plan of the complete machine with the receiving and delivery bands and collector shown in their respective positions.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation showing the pulling drums and combs in position for pulling an average cro of flax.

Fig. 4 shows to an enlarged scale in detail a part of the framing of the drum with the eccentric-ally mounted crank on which the combs and their connecting arms and slotted guides are mounted.

Fig. 5 shows a detached View in rear'eleva'tion of thereceiving and traveling bands for conveying the pulled flax to the hinged trough collector.

Fig. 6 shows to an enlarged scale the ad justable rod'pivotally attached at one end to the swing frame on which the transmission gear and pulling drums and combs are mounted, the opposite end of which is adjustably secured to a socket upon the shaft to which the horses are harnessed; and

Figs. 7 and 7 are detached views in elevation and cross-section of the swiveling slot bars mounted indrums for supporting and guiding the pulling combs.

Incarrying the invention into effect in one form, as applied by way of example to a horse-drawn pulling machine, I mount square drums, in which the pulling combs are mounted, in two sections a, a, side by side the width of the swath to be dealt with on a cranked axle b secured to the driving mitted through the toothed whee-leg, g

gear frame 7) which is supported upon and partially rotates upon the main axle c of the machine.

A bracket or socket (Z is pivotally mounted on the main axle at or about the center thereof for carrying the central pole or shaft of to which a pair of horses can be harnessed in the usual ay for working the machine.

T he frame F) in which the driving gear is mounted is of an inverted U in shape, and

embraces one of the carrying wheels 0 and has its lower ends socketed upon the main axle 0 each side thereof; and upon an extension of the axle c the outer carrying, wheel a is attached, both of these wheels being prorhled with projections of a known type on their peripheries for securing a grip on the ground.

-The carrying wheels maybe connected through a balance gear (not shown) to enable them to take, curves properly. The main axle c is connected at each end by a pair of toothed wheels e to a second pair of toothed wheels 0 c on a countershai't f whichis mounted in a hearing" at one end -inthe frame 7) and at the outercnd in a link bearing 0*. A second countershaft f mounted in bearings in the frame 7) is pro-' yided with a slidingtoothed wheel f which can be put in or .out of gear by means of the clutch 7", by which means motion is transably stiffened externally; the intermediate plate a? coming between the two drums and a, and extending beyond the extreme dimensions of the drums to form a dividing line in the straw between theoperatniggsets of combs acting upon each vsectioniof the swath. Internally the sides of the drums are I brovided with skeleton frames 0, in the corners of which frames are mounted slotted guidebars 72, as shown in FIQ'S. Tand 7 which are piyotallymounted at each .end in hearings in said frames a at points 90 apart as in theexample shown. Slotted openings near the apex of each corner are made in the drum casings opposite eachset of combs to allow said combs to be reciprocated beyond the sides of said casings to en gage and pull the flax straw as will be understood. g

I The, pulling combs are shown in groups of four; each element of the group consists of a connecting rod 71 attached bya split hearing; 71 to thecrankih of the shaft 7). At the opposite end of the connecting rod .71

a curved extension is'secured. To the outer end of this extension the teeth combs i are secured by set screws 2'", the teeth gradually tapering from the base to the extremity and being supported in the slotted bars ii pivoted at each end in. the skeleton frames of, the angle of the comb teeth with j the connecting rods being about The drums with the combs are preferably so mounted that theiryertical position may be adjusted to suit the height of the flax or other crop upon which it is desired to operate, and this is effected as follows The frame 7) is so mounted that it can be partly rotated on the main axle c. The frame 0 is normally fixed but its position can be changed by means of the adjustable stay 'rod Z: secured at one end by a universal joint to the top part of the frame 7) at it. The opposite end of the rod is secured by a similar joint 762 to an adjustable socket 7: on the shaft d which can be adjusted thereon by the clamping bolt and nut fastenings Zr. see Fig. (3. A fineradjustment can be effected by the screw and socket as shown at Zr", By'altering the position. of the frame 6 in an angular direction by releasing the clamping.device on the shaftd, the position of the drums a and a? can be raised or about three feet square projecting on onev side of the machineare advanced. against the flax-to be pulled, the face of the drum next the flax, slightly deflecting it, and as the-drum revolves the combs are caused at" the bottom toiproject outfrom theisurface oi: the drum, clearing the ground by about s x inches. and theirteeth pass into the flax I as they rise, thestems'passing between the teeth of the comb; The teeth of the combs are preferably tapered and of circular section. set say three=sixteenths of aninch apart at their roots. their diameter being at that point about three-eighths of an inch. These 7 teeth are so mountedthat when aslot comes to the height of the axis, the projecting teeth ill preferably make an angle of about 45 to the vertical." r

The heads of the flax andseed pods catch on the face of the comb so that as the comb rises. it pulls the flax out of theground and carriesit, around the ,drum partly by the seed pods. and partly by thewedg'e 'rip' between the teetln'underneafli a guide plate and delivers it to traveling bands; As the comb passes over the top,- and around to the back of the drum it is gradually being withdrawnby its connection to'the fixed crank. and as the flax cannot pass into the slotin the drumthe cornb is fully released from the flax which is then discharged behind the machine. Each comb operates similarly in turn. as the machine advances.

The traveling bands carry it rearwardly and then transversely for deposit clear of the machine, or for bundling.

The flax delivered by the )ulling drums a and a passes on to rearward traveling bands Z Z which in turn deliver it to transverse traveling band m on a slightly lower level on which the straw is disposed across the band in regular order by equally spaced cross bars secured thereon.

This in turn deposits the straw on a collector a which is maintained in a horizontal position by a balanced arm a, and which automatically discharges the straw when a prearranged amount has been fed to same, or the straw can be removed from the collector n by hand when a convenient quantity has been deposited on same.

In both the above arrangements of receiving and delivering bands, suitable supporting frames and wheels. are employed. In the case of the longitudinal bands the supporting wheel 0 is connected to a pulley 0 on the axle which is connected to a pulley 0 on the said band Z by a driving strap, to cause it to travel at the required speed and is connected to the axis of drum by a link Z The transverse traveling band or is carried upon a frame and supporting wheels p p upon an axle p at the end of which a pulley wheel 9 is secured, which is connected by a driving strap to a pulley g to actuate the traveling band 921. Suitable stays 7' 1 with slots are provided for attachment to the main axle c.

The pulling machine may be adapted for motor traction if desired.

lVhat I claim is 1. A machine for pulling flax comprising in combination a frame supported on tractor wheels, a horizontal axial shaft extending across the machine on which said wheels are rigidly secured, a U shaped frame pivotally mounted at one end of the axial shaft, a second motion shaft supported at one end in a bearing in the U frame and at the opposite end by a bearin piece parallel to the axial shaft, gear whee s secured at each end of said second motion shaft in mesh with gear wheels secured on axial shaft, a third motion shaft mounted in bearings in upper part of the U frame with a gear wheel mounted thereon in mesh with the said gearing to convey motion through a clutch and gear wheel in mesh with a spur pinion attached to drum casing provided with slotted openings and guide bars, said drum mounted on a horizontal shaft the central part of which is cranked, a series of combs loosely mounted thereon which engage slotted guide bars in drum, whereby the drum and the. combs receive a differential movement when r0- tated substantially as described.

2. In a machine for pulling flax comprising rectangular drums arranged at an angle with each other, provided with slotted openings near the apcxes of the corners thereof mounted upon the fixed journals of a cranked axis secured to the supporting framework of machine in combination with gear wheels for operating said drum; skeleton rectangular side frames secured to inner sides of drum with recesses forming bearings for the support of pivoted slotted guide bars for teeth of pulling combs which alternately advance and recede through said guide bars and slots in drums when the said drums are rotated in the manner described.

In a machine for pulling flax comprising in combination rotating rectangular drums formed in two or more sections upon a rigid. cranked shaft secured to the machine frame, a series of connecting rods situated at equal angular positions from each other extending radially from a split bearing rotating on the cranked axis, a curved angular extension thereon with a series of taper rods fixed to a bar forming a comb the width of drum, at an angle of 45 with the connecting rods substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

G. MICHOT. 

